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            The Kodiak public library recently received a unique device to help those with impaired sight read books and periodicals better. But head librarian Joe D'Elia says the Merlin desktop video magnifier has a wider range of uses.

            Kodiak residents get one more chance to see a professional aerial fireworks display this year. Dense fog postponed, and then cancelled the Independence Day display on July 4^th, with low clouds and rain cancelling the display on Labor Day weekend.

            Now, organizers are going to try again on New Year's Eve.

            Mark and Diana Holt, who set off the city of Kodiak's fireworks each year, said they are scheduling the show for 8 p.m. on Wednesday night. They said that would be early enough to bring kids out for the display and get home in time for grown-up activities at midnight.

            As usual, the display will be fired off from Near Island over the channel. The Fred Zharoff Memorial Bridge will be closed one-half hour before the show, and re-open right afterwards.

            The Holts are asking everyone to do a "good weather" dance for that night, but if the display is rained out again, the fallback date will be Saturday night, January 3^rd, also at 8 p.m.

            They say they will let KMXT know by 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon if the show is a go or not, so keep your radio tuned to 100.1.

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            Four men, including two from Kodiak, are seeking appointment to the Superior Court judgeship here. The advancement of Joel Bolger to the Alaska Court of Appeals earlier this year created the vacancy.

            They are Steve Cole, who is currently the Kodiak court magistrate; Stephen Wallace, the current Kodiak District Attorney; Robert Owens, an assistant municipal attorney in Anchorage; and Mark Osterman, who is in private practice in Kenai.

            Cole is 55 years old, and has lived in Alaska for 34 years. Osterman is 51 and been a resident in the state for 10 years. Owens is 54 and been in Alaska 26 years and Wallace is 50, and lived in the state 26 years.

            The Alaska Bar Association has already rated the four applicants, with Wallace scoring 4-point-2 on a scale of one to five. Cole and Owens were rated at 4-point-1. Osterman had a rating of 2-point-1.

            The Alaska Judicial Council is seeking public comment on the applicants' qualifications. They can be made at the council's web site .

            The council will interview all four applicants and then hold a public hearing to take comments before selecting two or more to be advanced to Governor Sarah Palin, who will then have 45 days to make an appointment.

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          Nick Billings, the star center of the undefeated 2000/2001 Kodiak Bears state championship team, was in town for the holidays, and spoke to KMXT about his experiences playing overseas.